Most of us just have to balance school work, a job and a social life while we’re in college. Well, imagine having to balance you’re own business on top of that! Jeffrey Short has to deal with that everyday as the founder of breathalyzershop.com, an online business that sells breathalyzers to various places ranging from treatment facilities to schools. Ladies, this guy is the real deal. Meet this week’s campus celebrity: Jeffrey Short.
Name: Jeffrey Short
Hometown: Garner, IA
Year in school or year graduated: Senior
Major: General Communications
Job: Managing my businesses.
Why did you choose to go to UNI? I chose to go to UNI because it easy to transfer to UNI and I wanted a 4 year degree if I ever need something to fall back on.
What is your favorite college memory? One of my favorite college memories would be attending the 2011 Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute and meeting some very successful entrepreneurs. I started my own business from a friend that had an online business, the whole idea of being able to own a business and not have a store was fantastic! I could work from my computer!
Tell us about your business: Breathalyzershop.com is an online business that sells alcohol breathalyzers to treatment facilities, hospitals, law enforcement, high schools, and anyone else that would need or want a Breathalyzer to help them make responsible choices.
What does a typical day on the job look like for you? A typical day for me includes answering emails, answering customer’s questions on the phone or simply finding new ways to better my business. Nowadays, I’m working on developing my next startup called VookBag.com, which will be a tool that students will be able to use. We eventually will be selling and renting ebooks so users don’t have to worry about shipping their books back like they do now if they are renting from Chegg and will eventually feature some neat features that could potentially make it possible for students to eliminate taking a book bag to class. VookBag is currently in beta mode, but is building up a customer base with a sign up on our page. The next release of the website will be available around mid-spring of 2012.
How long have you owned Breathalyzershop.com? I started Breathalyzershop about 2.5 years ago.
What is one of the most challenging aspects of owning your own business? One of the most challenging parts of owning a business in college is trying to balance my school work with my business, just because the changes on my business have an immediate impact on my life where my school work will more likely affect me when I graduate.
What is one of the most rewarding aspects of owning your own business? One of the most rewarding aspects about being a business owner is seeing customers happy or making your actions speak louder than words.
What advice would you give to students who are pursuing owning their own business? I would say if you have an idea, go for it. Don’t let someone tell you that you can’t make your business idea come true, prove them wrong.
What do you like to do in your free time? I enjoy learning more about online websites and trying to think of the next big thing in the Internet world.
Any favorite quotes you like or live by? “I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.” – Donald Trump